BEAM Stories

We've heard time and time again how raising kids doesn't have to derail your ambitions, but it's easier said than done. It takes grit, tenacity, some luck and a lot of clear-headed thinking to build a full life that includes both kids and your business dreams. In this episode, we'll hear how Laura Sullivan, co-founder of Sullivan and Sullivan Studios and Moveable Feast Retreats, approaches raising two young girls while building businesses and planning highly-curated events around the globe. 

About Laura Sullivan

• Learn more about Sullivan and Sullivan Studios and connect with them for your branding needs.
• Go on a highly-curated global experience with Moveable Feast Retreats.
• Follow Sullivan and Sullivan Studios and Moveable Feast Retreats on Instagram.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s weekly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each new year presents a semi-blank slate and some flexibility to dream and rediscover new possibilities. We often feel the need to label our intentions for the upcoming 365 days and set goals. (Can we just agree that resolutions are so 2019?) 

For moms and caregivers, this sentiment can either inspire hope or add yet another item on the top of a heaping to-do list. In this episode, Amy presents a third option - one that encourages curiosity and deeper insight instead of the next wellness regimen or surface-level goals.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the last new And More episode of 2023, we brought back certified mental health coach  & Daring Way Facilitator (and speed-dial friend) Mandy Jankus. In this conversation, Mandy talks about the new podcast she's started, why it's so important to talk about the "both/and" of our many emotions, and what she's learning by sharing her story.

Listen to her new podcast - The Kindred & Brave Project - wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk a lot about self-compassion and grief. We even have cute sayings like "put your oxygen mask on first," as a way to stave off burnout and fatigue. What happens when you've been in seasons of deep heartbreak, loss, and joy? How do you incorporate grief as a part of the normal ebb and flow of life?

Grief advocate, entrepreneur, and best-selling author Marisa Renee Lee answers this question head on with grace and compassion in this episode. She shares about her own grief journey in losing her mom, her mother-in-law, and others in her family and community. She talks about the both/and of ambiguous grief with infertility, pregnancy loss, and the joy of adoption. Marisa also shares how she's intentionally pushing against the systems that keep us distracted from experiencing healing and finding our footing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's December, which means we hear a common refrain in personal and professional circles. How are you going to "end the year well?" In a society obsessed with optimizing productivity and making every minute count, there's an endless litany of End of Year challenges and strategy sessions to ensuring that you're off to the races once the calendar year turns. None of this takes into account that this is the busiest time of the year for moms and caregivers, making magic for the holiday season. 

In this episode, Amy calls out the BS that is "ending the year well" and instead argues for a pause. She shares her perspective on the rat race that is the personal/professional end-of-year blur and provides a quick reframe of how to rise against the ever-present pressure by bucking the status quo this time of year. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we know we're actually making a difference in our world? When it's hard to see the progress we've made toward equity for moms and caregivers, I turn to those who can see both the 50k view and the nitty-gritty details. In this episode, we have Moms Rising cofounder and executive director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner to share her very keen insight into the power moms are yielding as they make a big impact in our government, our communities, and our broader world. 

In leading the nonprofit advocacy group of one million members for almost two decades, Kristin has seen it all. Tune in to hear how she started the group with her co-founder Joan Blades, the most recent policy wins for moms and caregivers, and the upcoming work that will move us forward.

About Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and Moms Rising:

• Follow Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner on Instagram, Threads and X/Twitter

• Join Moms Rising on their site and Instagram

• Subscribe to Breaking Through with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (powered by Moms Rising)

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• To financially support, visit BEAM’s crowdfunding page.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we find the “stories beyond the stories” as author Megan Stielstra so aptly says? How do we overcome the barriers of sharing the deeper truths that are really on our hearts? How do we come to a deep breath about all that is going on in the world today? In today’s solo episode, Amy talks about the stories we’ve heard from And More guests so far and challenges us to find some space to tell our own.

Submit your story here: www.welcometobeam.com/share

I also talk about:

• This TIME article by Dr. Maytal Eyal about self-silencing
• The many layers of a good story (i.e. Human-Scale Storytelling)
• Finding space in our lives for our own thoughts.

Keep in touch:

• Follow on IG: @amylizkugler @beam4moms
• Follow on LinkedIn: Amy Kugler & BEAM
• BEAM's website at welcometobeam.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What prompts an experienced Microsoft executive to leave her established tenure to disrupt women's health? For Gennev Founder and CEO Jill Angelo, it all started with an eye-opening conversation about how underserved women's healthcare was during menopause. In this episode, Jill shares about how much progress she's seen in menopause conversations since Gennev started 8 years ago, and how much work is left to go. She goes deep on her learnings about building a business before she even needed the services, and what it's like to juggle life as an entrepreneur and a "bonus mom."

Show Notes

About the Guests:

• Learn more about Gennev.

• Connect with Jill Angelo on LinkedIn

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• To financially support, visit BEAM’s crowdfunding page.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If half of a women-led small business executive team can feel supported while going on maternity leave at the same time, why is it challenging for other businesses to also make it happen? This was a question posed to Armoire's executive team this year. The best part: the Seattle-based clothing rental service had already instituted a robust paid leave plan for their employees, well in advance of anyone needing to use it. 

In this episode, Kristin Marchese and Shelley Knisley - two members of that executive team - talked about how they're approaching their own maternity leaves and how women-led businesses are leading the way in this issue in a myriad of ways.

About the Guests:

• Connect with Shelley Knisley and Kristin Marchese on LinkedIn

• Sign up for Armoire clothing rental.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• To financially support, visit BEAM’s crowdfunding page.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caregiving isn’t relegated just to moms. We’re helping older parents and loved ones. We’re standing alongside friends going through health battles or relationship snafus. We’re even mentoring those in our professional circles and lifting them up. In this episode, we’ll hear from Suzanne Weller, founder of Weller Collaboration and host of The Courage Effect radio show and podcast. As a coach, consultant and thought partner to so many, Suzanne brings the wisdom and insights to help us navigate these many roles.

She also reminds us that, sometimes, the greatest act of courage is caring for yourself.

About Suzanne Weller:

• Connect with Suzanne on LinkedIn

• Listen to The Courage Effect.

About Amy Kugler:

• Check out Amy's website and writing.

• Sign up for Unscripted, Amy’s bi-monthly newsletter.

About the Show: “And More with Amy Kugler” is a production of BEAM, a venture dedicated to amplifying the untold stories of motherhood and building public/private/advocacy partnerships to shift policy for moms nationally and globally.

• For more information about BEAM, visit welcometobeam.com.

• To financially support, visit BEAM’s crowdfunding page.

• Share your own perspective on BEAM’s website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.